According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple Watch’s blood glucose monitoring technology may still need several years to be introduced to the market.
Mark Gurman reported in February that Apple has made significant advances in non-invasive glucose monitoring technology, allowing diabetics and others to test their blood sugar levels without having to pierce their skin for a blood test.
Apple’s system reportedly uses a silicon photonic chip that measures glucose levels in the body by shining a laser down into the skin. Mark Gurman said in Bloomberg’s “Power On” news brief that Apple “still needs to refine the algorithms and on-board sensors” to bring the technology to market. More importantly, the company also needs to “shrink it down to a size that will fit into a small, thin module like the Apple Watch. Gurman believes that this process “will take at least another three to seven years.
Apple began researching alternative methods of blood sugar monitoring after acquiring RareLight in 2010. The company then developed the technology in a secret facility with the help of a startup called Avolante Health LLC, and then moved it to the Exploratory Design Group (XDG).
Apple has been conducting human trials for the past 10 years and hopes to alert users via the Apple Watch when they have pre-diabetes and encourage them to make lifestyle changes. The company is believed to be in preliminary discussions to obtain regulatory approval for the technology.
